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Adrenal Crisis; Best initial test!

5K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  drnrpatel 
#1 ·
A 63-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with confusion and mental status changes for the last two days. Her family says she has had symptoms of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea over the past few days. The patient has a history of cervical cancer, leading to clots in the legs and lungs several months prior to this admission. After a Greenfield filter was placed, she was sent home on coumadin. On this admission, she is found to be febrile with a temperature of 101.5 F orally, a pulse of 115/min, and a blood pressure of 90/60 mm Hg. Laboratory studies show: White cell count 11,000/mm3; hematocrit 31%; platelets 177,000/mm3; sodium 126 mEq/L; potassium 5.7 mEq/L; chloride 114 mEq/L, bicarbonate 22 mEq/L; BUN 33 mg/dL; creatinine 1.2 mg/dL; glucose 57 mg/dL. Prothrombin time 24 seconds; INR 2.2, aPTT 68 seconds. What would be the best initial test?

(A) Plasma renin level
(B) Cosyntropin stimulation test
(C) Serum cortisol level
(D) Lumbar puncture

I have confusion between b & c.
 
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